November Engineering

What can you build to keep your turkey safe on Thanksgiving??

Oh, and you can only build with toothpicks and marshmallows!

We had a fun time thinking like engineers!

time for a tour!

While I believe my room environment will be constantly changing, 

we had our official Open House for district and community supporters.

The kids have been using the space for about 9 weeks, but we wanted to 

wait for the unveiling until all details were ready!

Here is the front board. STEAM Lab sign canvases. I love way they turned out.

The clipboards have address labels with each "center" that is open each day. 

When the kids complete work in each area, they put a label in their STEAM journals.

The Writing Center has taken the most changes since we started.

It started as a teeny table for two...but, it is one of the most popular

places to work. So, we doubled the size and now 8 kids are able to sit and write together.

Light table.

All manipulative are under the table.

The canvas was painted by me and my daughter.

I love it.

 The windows aren't 100% done, but we wanted something to help cover up the

hideous windows. Each child painted a tag and they are hung with fishing line. 

I have 345 kids a week! That's a lot of tags!

I am looking for a new water/sand table.

The kids love kinetic sand. 

I do not love the sandbox and the mess.

Loose parts and other table activities.

Happy that my slanted easel wall is now actually a working easel.

 Science counter/Aquarium

Classroom library

The Art Gallery is my favorite.

Collection of random white frames, no backing or glass. 

Kids artwork stapled to board.

Makes me smile.

The newly installed magnetic wall, and our light up "museum" table.

This is a "look but don't touch" area where we can display special treasures.

Right now our marshmallow/toothpick challenge is there.

 Building/Architecture

 

This city scape light from IKEA was calling my name.

This is back of room looking towards the front of the school.

 same shot

View from front, looking back..

 another front to back view.

We had a great Open House. I am so proud of this space, and being able to give it to our students.

I am the luckiest!

color

Because I am a STEAM lab, I have certain "goals" I want to meet. 

I am trying to have a science objective, an art objective, and an engineering objective each month.

I am also trying to honor the Reggio inspired philosophy and balance it all.

The fun part is: I can choose my own lessons and create my own pacing.

The hard part is: I can choose my own lessons and create my own pacing.

September was a short month for the lab, focused on procedures and rules...

I see Kinder-2nd grade during the week..which totals 345 kids, and 27 groups. 

(This is also part of the FUN/HARD part equation).

For October, I decided to choose COLOR as the art theme...

We practiced with mixing water and then moved on to mixing shades of orange.

This particular group of kids discovered that when water was mixed in the center tray...they looked like planets.
This was "Mars".

 What I loved about the activity was the kids' reactions.

They couldn't believe they were making orange.

Two students actively argued back and forth about the "right" way to make orange.

My reply to most everything in the lab is "there is more than 1 right way".

One student was convinced you had to start with red paint, the other said yellow.

After a lot of back and forth, I challenged them both to try it their own way.

The conclusion? 

A very happy, " I guess we are both right!"

Light Table Magic

This new blog of mine...

Where to begin??

I had this dream that we could create an inspiring space for kids.

Full of inquiry and language and learning.

This vision grew with my school's passion for STEAM education.

I (half jokingly) shared my dream with my administrator.

"This would be my dream job", I told her.

And now. 

It's happening.

Stars aligned. Risks were taken. And here we are.

My Kinder-2nd Reggio inspired STEAM Lab.

I will slowly reveal the space, I am waiting on a few more areas to be finished...

Here is one of our favorite learning spaces, the light table.

I love watching kids work here. 

Some kids build UP. 

Some kids build flat, like a puzzle.

What are your favorite light table manipulatives?

We have legos, stones, tangrams, small cups, and these MagnaTiles.

I am also so very lucky that I get to see MY own kiddo once a week when
her first grade class visits the lab!